I have to explain...

I was able to put some more music on my iPod this weekend (no, not at home, I'm still working on that..)

I'm struck by all the different kinds of music I have in there.  John Mayer to Eric Clapton to Beyonce to James Taylor to Marc Cohn to Pearl Jam to Norah Jones to Sarah Maclachlan to Linkin Park to the Police, Lenny Kravitz, Maroon 5...it goes on.  I listen to a variety of music.  (There's a setting on the iPod that lets you shuffle through all your songs, and I use it all the time, so I can hear a bit of everything...and each new song is a surprise, I don't know the order..cool.)

I know exactly where I get it from, too.  Not home, because my folks had their cumbia standards, and -I'm not kidding- I had to listen to Englebert Humperdinck on many a long drive to the city (I could probably, to this day, sing along to some of his tunes...stop laughing...)  I remember Mom singing alot to us, but as far as music at home, my folks just weren't into it. 

No, I get it from my best friend Jenny's Dad.  He was our high school biology teacher, he listened to everything too, and it naturally trickled down to us.

There's nothing like dissecting a frog on Monday (sorry animal activist folks) to Queen or the Eagles, then taking your test on Friday to a recording by the London Symphony.  He literally rocked, and had the best sound equipment a teacher could afford at school and at home.  "Don't touch my stereo settings" was as common a refrain as "Don't walk on my grass!" (He had an enviable lawn that he babied all blistering summer long--I swear he watered it himself with the hose just to make sure we stayed off of it...)  There was always music playing at their house, and I loved going over there to hear it.

I smile every time I think of him.  I don't know when I'll see him again, but I'll be sure to bring the new toy along, because he loves electronic gadgets too.  And the next time my kids roll their eyes at my varied musical tastes, I'll tell them to knock it off and enjoy it.  I'm expanding their education, afterall. 

Besides, it's my car...they can walk if they don't like it, right?